WestJet is facing backlash from some customers as it begins to roll out Wi-Fi aboard flights provided by Starlink – a satellite constellation owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
WestJet announced it was partnering with Telus to provide reward members access to free Wi-Fi through Starlink last summer.
In a statement Tuesday, the company said the physical installation of hardware is underway and confirmed it began activating the satellite service in March.
“We know our guests value inflight connectivity, and after completing a competitive bid process that began in 2023 to offer a superior onboard experience, WestJet entered a multi-year agreement in July 2024 to equip our aircraft with free, fast and reliable satellite Wi-Fi technology,” the airline said.
“Notably, we selected the vendor that offers the best guest experience.”
The company said it is currently offering free in-flight Wi-Fi on 16 of its aircraft with plans to complete installation on its narrowbody fleet by the end of 2025 and its wide-body aircraft by the end of 2026.
With Musk now acting as a top adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened Canada with annexation, many customers believe the Calgary-based company should cancel its contract with Starlink.
“I would agree 100 per cent that we should cut ties with anything to do with Elon Musk. I don’t believe in his political views; I think he’s a divisive force in the world right now and I don’t think we should be supporting that,” said Akasha Bobb, a traveller at the Calgary International Airport.
“I think they (WestJet) are a Canadian airline, and they should stand for Canadian values, so if companies they work with don’t stand with those values, they should cut ties with them.”
Traveller Rohit Chhabra said he understands people’s knee-jerk reaction but questions whether cancelling the contract would be financially feasible for the company.
“I don’t want WestJet business to be put at risk either; I support Canadian businesses prospering,” Chhabra said.
CTV News has reached out to Starlink for comment.
There have been recent examples of discontent toward Musk and his business interests, including people setting fire to Tesla vehicles, another Musk company.
John von Heyking, chairperson and professor of political science at the University of Lethbridge, believes politicians are capitalizing on an increased sentiment of patriotism.
“The biggest danger that can happen when you torque patriotism is that you start stifling dissent and any kind of disagreement with the orthodoxies is going to be treated as a betrayal or anti-Canadian or you’re against us,” he said.
“Politicians find it in their interest to wrap themselves in the flag or put the hockey jersey on, it’s kind of a manipulation of fear as well, like, ‘I’m the guardian of your interest’ that I think sort of torques a lot of this stuff.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced his government was tearing up a $100 million contract with Starlink at the start of the month in retaliation to U.S. tariffs.
Starlink becoming a popular option in Canada
More than half of Canada’s provincial and territorial governments buy critical internet and emergency communications services from Starlink, which has emerged as the sixth-largest internet service provider in Canada as of 2023.
Peter Garland, a researcher at Carleton University who worked in telecommunications and aerospace technologies for more than 50 years, believes Canada is relying too much on the external company.
“I wouldn’t be advocating ripping out terminals and switching over. What I would be advocating is doing something that Canada should have been doing, which is planning better its own facilities,” Garland said.
“It is a critical infrastructure. It’s like water and hydro, and going forward I would advocate that we look for our solutions and have more control over and protect our sovereignty.”
Garland said Starlink fills a critical gap in providing remote locations reliable internet and is essential for emergency services.
“It is a short-term solution for people who have suffered long waiting for decent high-speed internet and as an engineer, I applaud the innovation of Starlink,” he said.
“But the reality is at the moment there is a Canadian infrastructure that has the potential to be controlled right from the content distribution to the actual user terminal, the whole proprietary link, belonging to a foreign entity and over the next four years at least is going to be a somewhat different relationship.”
While some provinces have contracts with Starlink but are considering alternatives, including Manitoba, Alberta’s Ministry of Technology and Innovation confirms the province does not have any contracts with SpaceX or Starlink.
